As Israel and the US are planning to support Kurdish militias on the ground against Iran, here is a reminder: There is no single agreed-upon number, but historians and journalists usually highlight 4–7 major episodes where US policy is widely described as “betraying” the Kurds.[1][2][3] Post‑World War I promises (1920s): Kurds point to US and … Read more
As impunity continues, Bursaspor fans eagerly add new insults to Kurdish citizens. In the past, Beşiktaş fans regularly clashed with Bursa fans, as their aggressive attitudes were not limited to Kurdish citizens. But their racist nationalism has a particular hate against Kurds. Here are some of the major incidents I collected with Perplexity’s help: … Read more
I believe this is really shameful. Tele1 TV seized by state, broadcast interrupted mid-air The authorities appointed a trustee to pro-opposition broadcaster Tele1 TV on the evening of Oct 24, taking the channel off air during its main news bulletin. But this was not the first time: Since 2016, Turkey has systematically seized, shut down, … Read more
Thanks to the new peace process. Koma Amed is a pioneering Kurdish music band formed in 1988 in Ankara by medical students from Ankara and Hacettepe universities. Their distinctive style mixes Kurdish folk music with contemporary influences, and they became emblematic of cultural resistance during a period when the Kurdish language and music were heavily … Read more
Well, it depends on one and only person… Selahattin Demirtaş, former Co-Chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has faced multiple trials and legal challenges since his arrest in November 2016. The most significant trial, known as the Kobani case, resulted in a severe sentence of 42 years in prison in May 2024. This … Read more
Two photos that were shared by the Turkish presidency’s X account this week, after a reception for the opening of the new legislative year, drew attention. There appears to be a reconfiguration or re-engineering in Turkish politics, as the CHP, the leading party in recent opinion polls, remains the legitimate main opposition, while the rest … Read more
I have been hearing about this for a while from many Kurdish friends. Now I see it is on the news: Abdullah Öcalan stated that Selahattin Demirtaş’s famous 2015 slogan “Seni başkan yaptırmayacağız” (“We will not let you become president”) was a mistake.turkiyekhabar+3 Details of Öcalan’s Comments Öcalan criticized Demirtaş’s choice to use the slogan … Read more
As far as I know, the core idea against Mr. Ulukaya is that he appeared right in the middle of the government’s Kurdish peace process to give support to the process in some way. Whatever the real political motivations, businessmen from Turkey who got rich in the US tend to show off back in Turkey- … Read more
Unlike the previous attempts, the ceremony occurred after a long series of negotiations behind the doors so that no parties would be humiliated (remembering the Habur gate incident). This, of course, does not stop nationalists fuming. They may be right on some points, but peace is still better than not. Full text: PKK statement during … Read more
Öcalan released a 7-minute video. This is historic and provides food for thought for commentators on TV and YouTube. But I feel like people have already moved on to the other issues. There was much talk about the brand of the T-shirt Öcalan was wearing, rather than political debates on social media – of course, … Read more
Such a tragedy. I have asked Perplexity to curate the information below. There are no credible sources of allegations, but X is full of conspiracies by nationalist accounts who are opposed to the current peace process. I have listed them at the end. Turkish Soldiers and Methane Gas Incident Number of Soldiers Who Died Twelve … Read more
In early May 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) held its 12th Congress in northern Iraq and announced it would dissolve its organizational structure and end its armed struggle. This unprecedented declaration – effectively disbanding the PKK after 40+ years of insurgency – ignited intense public reactions and debates across Turkeyreuters.comreuters.com. All segments of Turkish … Read more
The mood is calm, not much excitement, but this is historic in any case. The PKK’s decision to disband after four decades of conflict represents a potential turning point in Turkish-Kurdish relations and regional stability. While the announcement has been met with cautious optimism from various stakeholders, there is widespread acknowledgment that this is just … Read more
It is funny that I could not find a suitable image for this post. An image that includes Öcalan or PKK imagery may be risky if the negotiations turn sour; the AI produced some fictional images where the Turkish and PKK flags were of equal size, which may trigger nationalist reactions. I decided to publish … Read more
I did not have the honor of meeting Mr. Önder, who died after 18 days in intensive care. Despite a lifelong struggle, days of torture and imprisonment, he was not trapped in ressentiment. That’s how I will remember him. Both the Turkish and Kurdish opposition miss an irreplaceable person. This is a (deepl-translated) letter to … Read more